Kansas Sports Hall of Fame 2026 Class Announced; Includes One Northwest Kansas Native

Kansas Sports Hall of Fame

The Kansas Sports Hall of Fame has announced their 2026 class to be inducted at multiple times at lots of different events. One of these future inductees, Tracy Rietzke, originates from the Northwest part of Kansas in Smith Center.

Amidst the largest inductee class ever for the KSHOF, including American record-holders and collegiate All-Americans, a World Series champion, Negro Leagues legends, NFL players and coaches as well as college and high school champions and a world-renown portrait artist, Rietzke stands as one of the few inductees from small town Kansas.

The KSHOF detailed Rietzke's accomplishments to get her into the Hall of Fame in a press release. Here's what they had to say:

A Smith Center native. NAIA All-America basketball player at Kansas Wesleyan. Led the nation in field goal percentage in 1976. Recorded 1,277 victories in 38 years as the volleyball coach at Kansas Wesleyan and Rockhurst University. He had an .818 winning percentage at Rockhurst; 2019 NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year. 206-45 record as women’s basketball coach at Rockhurst with five NAIA national tournament appearances. Earlier this year inducted into the American Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Rietzke will be inducted to the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in Kansas City on August 16th, as well as 9 others at the same location. This year's class brings the total amount of inductees to 379 since 1961.

For more information about other inductees and the induction events, click HERE.

Some information courtesy of the Kansas Hall of Fame.